Fruit and like packing press.



PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908.

A. D. BLANK. FRUIT AND LIKE PACKING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED 1730,26, 1907.

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WITNESSES:

I A TTORTZZ Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRUIT AND LIKE PACKING PRESS.

Application filed December 26, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ARTHUR D. BLANK, citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fruit and LikePacking Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus which is especially designed forpacking prlunes and like fruits in attractive form for ea c. i

It consists in the combination of mechanism, and in details ofconstruction, which will be more fully explained by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation showing theends, and portions of my apparatus. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section ofthe mold. Fig. 3 is an end view of same. Fig. 4 is a plan view of theliner, packed. Figs. 5 and 6 show portions of the screen belts.

The apparatus consists of an endless chain of molds of any suitablelength to provide sufficient space for the various operations which willtake place.

At each end of the apparatus are drums A, A around which the endlesschain of packing molds is made to pass. One or both of these drums maybe driven by a bevel gear, as at 2, or in other suitable manner from asuitable motor, and the whole may be mounted upon any suitableframe-work. Such frame-work is indicated at 3. The drums are relativelyadjustable by having the boxes a of one drum movably mounted in suitablebearings and adjusting screws 5 engaging the movable boxes, as shown inFig. 1. This allows me to maintain the proper tension of the chain.

The molds consist of outer iron shells 4, within which are preferablyfitted aluminum linings 5, the shells and linings being here shownrectangular in form, and of such size as to contain packages of anydesired size and weight; such as one, two, three, five, ten or morepounds, as desired.

The exterior metal shells 4 preferably have the upper portion sorecessed that each can receive a lining 5, as shown in Fig. 2. Thelinings have their interior angles rounded so as.

to measurably fit and shape the prunes or other material, and giveattractive form to the package.

The outer shells 4 have journaled upon opposite sides, rollers 6, whichare adapted.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1908' Serial No. 407,990.

Y to travel in guides upon the frame. I have here shown these guides asmade of angleiron, as shown at 7, Fig. 3.

8 are plungers of such dimensions as to fit snugly into the open bottomsof the shells. These plungers have their bases con,- nected together bylinks 9, so that the whole forms an endless traveling chain which passesaround the drums A, as previously described.

The shells or cases are maintained in their line of travel by therollers 6 which travel in the guiding grooves or equivalent supports ofthe frame, and thus maintain the shells and their linings in a singleline of travel.

The plungers have rollers 10 projecting upon each side, and these travelin grooves or channels, as at 11, which grooves or channels are sodisposed with relation to those of the mold shells, that at thecommencement of the apparatus the plungers will be inserted into theshells to such. an extent that only sufficient space is left in theupper part for the reception of a single layer of the fruit to bepacked. Then after this layer of fruit has been introduced, the plungersare moved downwardly sufficient to receive another layer, by aninclination of the guiding channel 1.1, as plainly shown in Fig. 1,where this channel slopes downwardly and carries the plunger downsufficiently to allow another layer of the fruit to be introduced; andso on until all the upper portion, which forms the fruit mold, has beenfilled.

The method of filling is as follows: Above the traveling mold shells,previously described, is an endless traveling screen 13 which passesaround drums 14; and these drums are rotated and the screen caused totravel around these drums by means of bevel gears 15 mounted uponvertical shafts 16, and having gear connections with a main drive-shaft17, or by other well known equivalent means, so that the belt 13 iscaused to travel at the same rate of speed with the shells which aremoving beneath. This belt of wire screen has reticulated openings soshaped and arranged that each of these openings is substantially equalto the area of the shell mold which is movable beneath, and which ismade to register with the opening in the screen. The fruit to be packedbeing placed upon the lower part of the traveling screen between thedrums 14, is introduced through the opening into the mold passingbeneath, by one or more assistants, and the layers of fruit thusintroduced may be of sufficient numbers in length and Width to just fillthe shell and form a single layer resting upon the top of the lunger 8,which while passing beneath the 'lirst screen 13 is maintained by itsrollers and guide channels at such an elevated position as to receivethe single layer only. The openings in revolving screens may besubdivided into smaller interstices, each interstice allowing each pieceof fruit or other material to be deposited in its proper position in thelayer. After the mold has passed beneath the first of the endlessscreens 13, it passes through a space between this and the next screen,which in like manner passes around drums 14, and is caused to travel inthe same manner as described for the first screen. This screen likewisehas reticulated openings which coincide with the top of the passingmolds. The groove or channel 11 which guides the rollers 10 of theplunger, inclines downwardly in the space etween the contiguous drums14, so that when the mold shells have arrived beneath the lower part ofthe second screen 13, the plunger will have been depressed sufficientlyto allow another layer of the fruit or material to be packed to beintroduced through the o enings in this second screen. Thus, as s own inFig. 5, if prunes are being packed in the molds, the prunes being of acertain size,

such as may be undergoing the process of packing, there may be fiveprunes in length and four in width, to cover the top of the plunger inthe first layer. When the next packing screen is reached, the prunes maybe so placed as to lie at the junction of each four of the previouslayer, which will make a layer composed of four in length and three inwidth. Between this second screen and the next one, the guide 11 takesanother incline which carries the plunger down again sufficiently toallow another layer to be introduced through the openings in the thirdendless screen which travels above the shells, and thus space is madefor a third layer, which may again correspond with the layer which wasfirst placed upon the plunger. The plunger is thus lowered by stepsuntil a sufficient number of layers have been intro duced to fill themold to the required depth. At this point either a rolling orreciprocating plunger may be placed, so that when the filled moldemerges from beneath the last endless screen and its final drum, thiscompression device serves to compact this fruit within the mold.

It 'will be manifest that a compression device may be used after eachsuccessive layer, or after alternate layers, as well as after completionof package.

In the present case, I have shown a roller pressure device, as at 18,but it will be understood that a reciprocatinguplunger may be used withequal effect. 'ter passing this compacting plunger, the guide-wayllagain inclines upwardly, as shown at 11 and this causes the plunger torise until it reaches its normal position, and thus forces out the blockof pressed fruit,-as indicated at 19. The inner mold shell 5 is alsomoved outward with its contained body of fruit, and from this innershell the fruit may be transferred to suitable cases in which it iseventually packed for sale, and the lining shell is again in readinessto be used, unless of a character intended to remain permanently on thepack age. The fruit thus prepared is in the form of the well knownbricks, as they are called, in which they are displayed for sale in themarket. The empty molds then passing around the terminal drum A, theguide rollers 6 are directed into a channel 20, which, extending alongthe lower part of the frame, maintains the shells in proper position,and prevents their sagging while returning to the drum A, over whichthey pass into the position first described, and in readiness to receivea new charge of the material to be packed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. A fruit and like packing apparatus consisting oftraveling molds, bottoms slidable within said molds, and means by whichthe bottoms may be retracted after each layer has been placed.

2. An apparatus for packing fruit and the like, consisting of connectedtraveling molds, bottoms slidable within said molds, surfaces adapted totravel above and contiguous to the molds, and having openings toregister with the molds for the insertion of the ma terial to be packed,in layers, means by which the bottoms are successively retracted aftereach layer is placed, until the molds are filled, and means forcompressing the material within the molds.

3. An apparatus for packing fruit and the like, consisting of connectedtraveling molds,

bottoms slidable within said molds, surfaces adapted to travel above andcontiguous to the molds, and having openings to register with the moldsfor the insertion of the material to be packed, in layers, means bywhich the bottoms are-successively retracted after each layer is placed,until the molds are filled, and means for subsequently raising the moldbottoms and ejecting the completed package.

4. In an apparatus for packing fruit and the like, a series ofconnectedtraveling molds, bottoms fitting and movable within said molds, camtracks, and projections from the sides of the bottoms engaging the camtracks, whereby the bottoms are raised within the molds to admit asingle layer of fruit, and successively retracted to admit subsequentlayers until the molds are filled.

5. An apparatus for packing fruit and the like. consisting of connectedtraveling molds, projections upon the exterior sides of the molds andguides within which said projections travel, bottoms fitting andslidable within the molds, said bottoms having projections from thesides, guides into which said projections extend, said guides being soarranged that the bottoms are first raised within the molds to allow asingle layer of material to be placed therein, said bottoms beingsuccessively retracted to allow subsequent layers until the molds arefilled, means for compressing the package within the molds, and meansfor subsequently raising the bottoms and ejecting the completed package.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, connected and guidedtraveling molds, similarly guided bottoms or plungers movable within themolds and capable of being gradually retracted to allow successivelayers of material to be introduced until the molds are filled, surfacesadapted to travel contiguous to and in unison with the move ment of themolds, said surfaces having openings corresponding with those of themolds, whereby the material to be packed may be introduced into themolds in successive layers, means for compressing the material when themolds are filled, and means for expelling the completed packages.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, bottomless molds havinginterior slidable linings, plun ers fitting the molds, means by whichsaid filungers are first placed near the top to allow a single layer ofmaterial to be placed thereon within the molds, means by which theplungers are successively retracted to receive an additional layer ofmaterial, until the mold is filled, and means for compressing and meansfor ejecting the completed package. 7

8. In an apparatus of the character described, bottomless molds havingthe upper portion recessed, and independent linings fitting therein atthe art where the package is to be formed, said linings having roundedinner angles to fit and shape the periphery of the package.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, bottomless molds havingflexible connections, means by which said molds are guided in asubstantial lystraight line of travel, means by which the molds areadvanced, bottoms or plungers fitting said molds having guide rollersprojecting from the lower part, guides located in the line of travel ofthe bottoms and within which the guide rollers are movable, said guidesbeing inclined at intervals so that the plungers are first raised withinthe molds to allowa single layer of material to be placed therein, andretracted after each layer suficiently to allow a sin le layer to besubsequently placed in the molds, and traveling screens or surfacesmovable in unison with and contiguous to the upper surfaces of themolds, said screens having openings registering with the o enings in themold where by the successive ayers of material may be placed in themolds during their travel.

10. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, a series of openbottomed molds flexibly connected together to form an endless chain,drums around which said chain of molds passes at each end of its travel,projections or rollers on the sides of the molds, channel guides withinwhich said projections travel to maintain the molds in position,plungers fitting the bottoms of the molds aving projections or rollersupon each side of the lower art, and guide channels into which said rolers extend, said channels being so related to the mold guides that theplun ers will first be carried near the top of the mo ds, withsufficient space to receive a single layer of material to be packed,then inclining downward between the first and second filling positionsto receive a further layer, and after the molds are filled, incliningupwardly, so that the plungers are raised to eject the completedpackage.

11. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, a chain of flexiblyconnected openbottomed molds, drums around which the chain asses ateach. end of its travel, guides where y the molds are caused to move ina substantially strai ht line at the upper portion of their trave, otherguides extending along the lower portion of their travel, whereby thechain of molds is caused to travel in substantially straight linesbetween the lower parts of the drums, means for revolving the drums toadvance the chain of molds, and means for relatively adjusting the drumsto maintain the proper tension of the chain.

12. In an ap aratus of the character described, an end ess flexiblechain formed of open molds with flexible connecting links forming anendless chain, drums around which said molds are adapted to ass,plungers, and guides by which said p ungers are moved from the upper tothe lower part of the mold to successively receive single layers ofmaterial to be packed, endless traveling screen belts having the lowerparts movable contiguous to and parallel with the movement of the uppersurfaces of the molds, and having openings made therein, through whichlayers of material may be successively placed in the molds whiletraveling, a compression device located with relation to the feedingtables, and inclined guides with which the plungers are engaged, andbywhich they are raised to eject the completed packages aftercompression.

13. In an apparatus of the character described, a series of connected,traveling open mold shells, with plungers, and means for retracting saidplungers to receive successive layers ofmaterial, screens or surfacesadapt- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set ed to move in unisonwith and contiguous to my hand in presence oftwo subscribing wittheupper sides of the molds, said surfaces nesses.

having openings registering with the molds ARTHUR D. BLANK. 5 and formedwith reticulations through which Witnesses:

the material passes, and by which it is sym- GEO. H. STRONG,

metrically disposed in the molds. CHAs. A. PENFIELD.

